Love Is the Drug
Bryan Ferry (with Roxy Music) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To wait for the bell to ring
T'ain't no big thing
The toll of the bell
Aggravated, spare for days
I troll downtown the red light place
Jump up bubble up, what's in store
Showing out, showing out, hit and run
Boy meets girl where the beat goes on
Stitched up tight, can't shake free
Love is the drug, got a hook on me
Oh oh catch that buzz
Love is the drug I'm thinking of
Oh oh can't you see
Love is the drug for me
Late that night I park my car
Stake my place in the singles bar
Face to face, toe to toe
Heart to heart as we hit the floor
Lumber up, limbo down
The locked embrace, the stumble round
I say go, she say yes
Dim the lights, you can guess the rest
Oh oh catch that buzz
Love is the drug I'm thinking of
Oh oh can't you see
Love is the drug, got a hook in me
Oh oh catch that buzz
Love is the drug I'm thinking of
Oh oh can't you see
Love is the drug for me
The opening lines of "Love Is The Drug" by Bryan Ferry suggest that waiting for the right moment to indulge in love and passion is not a big deal. The bell in the lyrics is a metaphor for something significant, like love or a signal for the right moment. The song emphasizes that the anticipation of love and companionship is sometimes as satisfying as the act itself.
The second part of the song describes the singer's quest for love and the desperation that comes with it. The song explores the idea of love as a drug and its addictive qualities. The lyrics suggest that love is not a conscious choice but a craving that drives the singer's every move. The line "Love is the drug, got a hook on me" is a powerful metaphor that compares the addiction of love to a hook in the mouth of a fish.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the powerful effect of love and how it drives the singer's every thought and action. The repetition of "Oh oh catch that buzz, love is the drug I'm thinking of, oh oh can't you see, love is the drug for me" reinforces the addictive quality of love and its potent effect on the psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
T'ain't no big thing
It's not a big deal
To wait for the bell to ring
To wait for something to happen
T'ain't no big thing
It's not a big deal
The toll of the bell
The sound of the bell ringing
Aggravated, spare for days
Feeling frustrated and alone for an extended period of time
I troll downtown the red light place
I walk around in the area with red lights (likely a red-light district)
Jump up bubble up, what's in store
Feeling excited and wondering what will happen next
Love is the drug and I need to score
Love is addicting and I need to find it
Showing out, showing out, hit and run
Acting confidently and quickly leaving after doing something
Boy meets girl where the beat goes on
A boy and girl meet while the music continues to play
Stitched up tight, can't shake free
Feeling trapped and unable to get away
Love is the drug, got a hook on me
Love is like a drug and I'm addicted to it
Oh oh catch that buzz
Feeling the effects of love like a drug
Love is the drug I'm thinking of
Thinking about love as if it were a drug
Oh oh can't you see
Can't you see how love is addicting?
Love is the drug for me
I'm addicted to love
Late that night I park my car
I park my car late at night
Stake my place in the singles bar
I find my place in a bar for single people
Face to face, toe to toe
Standing face to face and very close to each other
Heart to heart as we hit the floor
Sharing an intimate moment as we start dancing
Lumber up, limbo down
Dancing awkwardly and then smoothly
The locked embrace, the stumble round
Hugging each other tightly and then dancing clumsily
I say go, she say yes
I ask her to come with me and she says yes
Dim the lights, you can guess the rest
Lower the lights and use your imagination
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW MC KAY, BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Gunners_Mate_Guns
John Gustafson's bass on this is simply iconic.
@taffyterrier
I think he may have influenced Bernard Edwards.
@michaeljames998
AGREED! I know this one fat guy that can fart 4 notes of this in a row!
@suzannji
When I was having my daily radiation treatments for throat cancer, I hummed this to my self while I was strapped into the mask. Ten years later, I'm alive and well, thanks to my great doctors. But I do believe love was the drug and it will always be my mantra.
@stockmanager7417
+Suzanne Delaney that's a nice sentiment :)
@vincebevis2277
love and luck to you.You have come through a remarkable battle.
@suzannji
+Vince Bevis Thanks, Vince! As battles go, it wasn't so bad, and because of a month on morphine, I can't remember the really hard part! So many others have had far more dreadful difficulties to deal with. I consider myself fortunate and happy.
@vincebevis2277
+Suzanne Delaney You are far too humble Suzanne, my family has been decimated by cancer,so understand your fight.
@kestrel571
Suzanne Delaney wow live life xxxx
@cowboysfan782008
Life's a trip. Always old for my age my mom used to drop me off by myself at the Plano skating rink outside of Dallas when I was 7/8 1975/76. They'd play this song, Thin Lizzy Jailbreak, ZZ Top Tush, Dream Weaver, and some funky stuff from Parliament and Hot Chocolate. Disco, the best rocknroll, and the beginning of punk all in the same era. Damn glad to have been a kid in the 70's!